A Black Cod is a a Black Cod (isn’t it?)
Chef Ming Tsai is back in the news after calling Black Cod (also known as Sablefish), “Alaskan Butterfish” on a recent menu. For the President, no less…
It’s the same name that got him in trouble with the Boston Globe a few months back, where Chef Tsai was lumped in with other examples of mislabeled seafood. We find ourselves wondering – is Chef Tsai’s name choice really part of the same issue?
Mislabeling of seafood is certainly an industry-wide problem that deserves to be taken seriously. We take it seriously and make every effort to communicate our zero-tolerance policy to the vendors we work with. Is what Chef Tsai did the same as intentionally subbing Tilapia for American Red Snapper?
Generally, intentional mislabeling of fish on a menu is done to save money – replace a more expensive fish (wild Alaskan sockeye) with a less expensive one (farmed salmon) without changing the name to make a few extra bucks.
Just as an aside, black cod isn’t even in the cod family. Anyone working for Pantone, Inc. would probably agree it’s also not really “black”. No one wants to call this tasty fish “Miso Glazed Black 6 PC Anoplopoma fimbria”
We doubt that Chef Tsai was trying to save a few dollars with his substitution (wonder what the budget is for dinner at the White House?). He took some creative license with the name, just like we do every day with Chilean Sea Bass (instead of calling it Patagonian Toothfish). Chilean Sea Bass happens to be widely accepted, and unfortunately for Chef Tsai, really no one calls Black Cod “Butterfish”.
According to the FDA there are eight fish that can be legally called “Butterfish”
- White Pomfret
- Sliver Pomfret
- Butterfish (a.k.a. Dollarfish/Skipjack/Harvesterfish/Sheepshead)
- Greenbone
- Black Butterfish
- Harvestfish
Google “butterfish” and you can find a variety of discussions going on – there is a “true butterfish” camp, there are those that call escolar “butterfish” and yes, there are a few people out there who call Black Cod “butterfish”. It’s a fish, and it is buttery, so there you go.
The real problem here is that calling negative attention to Chef Tsai’s naming decision eliminates a chance to remind the public that eating seafood is a smart choice. Instead of the First Lady being given an opportunity to tout the nutritional benefits of fish, we’re instead given another reason to avoid fish; labeling confusion.
The average American isn’t eating enough seafood as it is; lets not make it harder for them to eat more. We can certainly address the real issues of labeling fraud without putting a seafood-friendly chef like Ming Tsai on the chopping block because he likes to write colorful menus. What do you think?
Fishing Meets Art at Santa Monica’s Richard Heller Gallery
We’re looking forward to fisherman and photographer Corey Arnold’s upcoming exhibition “Wolf Tide” at the Richard Heller Gallery in Santa Monica – the opening reception is from 5:00 to 7:00 on Saturday, February 25th, and the show runs through March 31.
Since we spend a lot of time promoting (and eating) wild Alaskan seafood, we think this is a unique way to get a fisherman’s perspective of his work through photography. We had a chance to get to know Corey a bit better this past week…
Corey started fishing when he was still in diapers, growing up fishing every weekend with his father. He told us that “the desire to be out and away at sea ran deep.” for Corey, photography began as “a means or an excuse to go and explore new subjects, search for the unknown, and meet interesting characters along the way. I always wanted to work as a commercial fisherman where I could work in blocks of time, and spend the rest of my year exploring and making photographs. Nowadays though, the photo and fishing often happen at the same time.”
As a commercial fisherman who is also an artist, Corey bridges the gap between work and art behind his lens. “I feel fortunate that my captain aboard the f/v Rollo, a Bering sea crab boat that I worked on for seven years was a creative guy that gave me leeway to snap photos here and there. The fishing work always came first, but when I had an opportunity to take a few minutes to snap a roll of film, it was encouraged. I think I was lucky to be able to combine the two and now that I run my own salmon boat in Alaska, there is no one to tell me to put down the camera!”
His crew doesn’t seem to mind. “My crew is like a family, so there may be the usual friendly harassment that is to be expected, but mostly the other crewman enjoy being photographed, or at least they enjoy having photos of themselves looking manly and heroic while getting thrashed in heavy seas. They do it for the ladies,” he jokes.
What’s on Corey’s dinner table these days? Chowder! “I’m a huge fan of salmon chowder lately. Chowder made with coconut milk, chicken broth, some bacon and smoked oysters is my favorite. Second place goes to King Crab ceviche, Eric Nyhammer from the f/v Rollo makes the worlds best King crab ceviche.”
Corey’s show at the Richard Heller Gallery is his largest solo exhibition to date, and includes a lot of new work that he’s very proud of. “Most of the images are a sort of behind the scenes from my journeys at sea working and documenting commercial fishing around the world. My new book, Fish-Work: The Bering Sea will be on display, and Richard Heller is a really nice guy. Say hello if you stop by.”
The Richard Heller Gallery is located at 2525 Michigan Ave, B-5A in Santa Monica.
Seafood, Lent, and Beyond!
A great article in QSR magazine sets up some compelling reasons to get some thoughtful non-meat (and by that we mean seafood) options on the menu come Lent (which begins this year on Wednesday, February 22).
Did you know that McDonald’s fillet of fish was invented as a meat-free option for Catholic diners? That’s right, and now it has a place on the menu year-round. Lent can be a great chance to add a new seafood item to your menu as a special – then who knows, your customers might just love it and you’ll have a popular new dish to add to your permanent menu!
In the article, Laura McGuire of Chicago-based food industry consultancy Technomic, points out “new fish- or vegetable-based offerings will not only appeal to those who observe Lent, but also attract seafood lovers and vegetarians.” Yet another reason to up that seafood order next week!
Make sure your seafood (and vegetarian dishes) get extra marketing play this time of year so that customers know they can join you on Friday and not have to worry about meeting their dietary restrictions.
We’re not talking just main courses either – offer those customers looking to take a pass on meat choice across the menu – soups, salads and appetizers (and be ready for questions about ingredients – does the soup use a meat based stock? Do you cook your beans with pork?)
A bit of planning ahead can help you turn dietary restrictions into an opportunity to exceed customers expectations. Now, go place that seafood order!
Frozen Seafood; Good for Your Menu, Good for the Planet!
Our friends over at Intrafish clued us into a recent piece in National Geographic touting the benefits of frozen seafood. We want to share that piece with you, along with some of our current icy favorites…
Here’s what’ NatGeo had to say:
- Reduce your environmental impact. Fresh fish has to be shipped by air to reach most consumers; frozen can be freighted by ship, rail, or truck with significantly lower environmental impact.
- Keep fishermen safer. Without the urgent pressure to deliver fresh fish immediately, fishermen can have a safer time line in which to bring their catch from sea to table. They also can choose to fish only in the best conditions.
- Reduce waste in processing. By freezing fish at sea, fishermen can use economies of scale to consolidate processing, adding value with volume to the total utilization of the fish.
- Use only what you need. By pulling from the freezer exactly the amount you need—when you need it—you avoid wasting highly perishable fresh fish.
- Get the best seafood year-round. Taste and nutrition are locked in when fish is frozen at sea, and you’re never restricted to just what’s available fresh today.
And, with those great reasons in mind, here’s some of our current favorite frozen picks:
Individually quick frozen dry pack Hokkaido scallops are perfect for a variety of dishes and a great way to get some scallops on the menu at a good price. These are high quality, dry pack scallops from Japan; 20/30 count, packed in 10 lb. cases (2/5 lb. bags). Thaw what you need, super convenient.
Frozen Australis Barramundi fillets – this fish just continues to grow in popularity, and these convenient fillets come in at a great price. Versatile, ready to use and delicious!
Looking for a local seafood option? Why not try some California Calamari! That’s right – order a 30 lb. case of squid tubes/tentacles caught and processed in Southern California. Tender, delicious and chemical free.
Just in time for Mardi Gras we also have a great farmed shrimp option from Mexico – 16/20 count IQF shrimp (4/5 lb bags in a case). Perfect for shrimp po’ boys or a tasty étouffée!
Another convenient, inventory friendly item we’re loving right now – IQF snow crab legs – these are single legs cut from 5/8 oz. clusters. Comes to you in a 10 lb. case (better order two)!
Call your Santa Monica Seafood Representative today and get some of these smart frozen options rolling your way before lent begins!
2011 Sees Record Lobster Harvest in Maine
Maine lobstermen harvested over 100 million pounds of lobster in 2011 – that’s the biggest haul ever…
An AP article in the NYTimes quoted Patrick Keliher, the Department of Marine Resources commissioner, noting that the preliminary 2011 numbers showed that the lobster population along the state’s jagged coast was healthy.
What’s helping lobsters do so well? Our colleague Chuck Anderson over at Sousa Seafood offered four possible reasons:
MINIMUM SIZES: In 1988, Maine increased the minimum size of lobster to 3 1/4 inches as measured from the back of the eye socket to the start of the tail. Canada has a slightly smaller minimum size of 3 3/16 inches. NY, NJ, and Connecticut have a slightly larger minimum size of 3 3/8 inches. The larger minimum sizes established in the 1980’s allowed more females to reach sexual maturity before being harvested. This is a huge reason why lobsters are doing so well now.
MAXIMUM SIZE: In Maine, lobsters over 5 inches are thrown back. Large, older females can produce 50,000 eggs or more, while young reproducing female lobsters may produce 5,000 to 10,000 eggs. Generally, Maine produces lobsters between 1.25lb and 2.5 lbs. The larger lobsters occasionally available on the market are bycatch from fishing trawlers, or from select areas allowed to catch jumbo lobsters in Massachusetts.
FEEDING: One reason for the success of lobsters is because we feed them. Thousands of lobstermen regularly tend hundred of thousands or millions of lobster traps on a regular basis. As lobstermen, tend their traps, they remove legal size lobsters, add bait to the trap, and put the trap back on the bottom. The traps are designed so that small lobsters can get in, eat, and get out or the trap. Lobsters and a few other small crustaceans enjoy this easing food supply, but large fish can’t get to the bait.
FEWER ENEMIES: One of the most common predators of lobsters are large cod. While cod stocks may be doing well in many areas, the # of large cod is much lower than before modern fishing technology changed the game. Since the 1980’s there are fewer large and whale cod. The % of scrod and markets size cod is greater than 20 years ago. Note: Scrod cod are under 4lbs, market cod are 4-10lbs, large cod are 10-25lb, and whale cod are 25lb and up.
We’ve got live lobsters on hand in a variety of sizes, just give your Santa Monica Seafood Representative a call!
Big Changes in Store for Seafood Watch
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program just announced that it has revised both its sustainability assessment criteria and internal research process. The goal of these changes is to help the organization update reports more frequently, keep those reports concise and clearly organized and maintain the information essential to each recommendation.
According to a recent press release,
The streamlined process of creating reports and recommendations has the potential to assess more species of interest, and a new numerical scoring system allows for finer-scale recommendations for seafood buyers, while maintaining the straightforward green-yellow-red “traffic light” rating approach for consumers who rely on popular Seafood Watch pocket guides and smartphone apps.
The revised assessment criteria will not result in significant changes to current Seafood Watch recommendations as they incorporate the same guiding principles, said Senior Science Manager Dr. Tom Pickerell. The new science reports will, however, make it easier to see, at a glance, why each item earned a Best Choice, Good Alternative or Avoid ranking, he said.
We’re also excited to share with you two other major changes that Seafood Watch will be making this year. According to Dr. Pickerell, they will also be working on:
1. An evaluation of certifications schemes (such as the Marine Stewardship Council and the Global Aquaculture Alliance) to see if the Seafood Watch program can use their rankings “determine if any or all are “credible – that is, adhere to a robust process – and equivalent to at least a Seafood Watch ‘Good Alternative’ yellow ranking or above,”
2. Launching of “pilot projects examining strategies to enable stakeholders to utilize our criteria and methodology to assess fisheries and aquaculture operations that are not being assessed by Seafood Watch,”
We’re excited to continue our partnership with Seafood Watch, and we can’t wait to see how these changes help us improve not only our purchasing habits, but how we recommend responsible choices to you.
Be Ready for a Busy Valentine’s Day!
It sounds like it’s going to be a very busy Valentine’s Day for restaurants around the country – and we’d like to know, “are you ready?”
According to this great info-graphic from OpenTable, diners are going to be reserving tables early, spending at least at much as last year, and they aren’t going to be limiting their Valentine’s Day dining to traditional dates, with 76% of respondents noting they would be more than happy to dine out with a group of friends…
Get ready for a busy holiday! But, keep in mind that since the 14th falls on a Tuesday, you might see increased traffic on Saturday the 11th as well. According to the OpenTable survey, 26% of diners are planning their romantic dates for Saturday (with 47% aiming to celebrate on the 14th).
So, what kind of seafood are you putting on the menu?
Sure fire sellers like live Maine lobster, dry pack u/10 scallops and of course, oysters on the half-shell are always great options, but don’t stop there! With celebrating couples (and groups) out to have a good time keep them happy with lobster tails, caviar and other luxury items. Sushi is a fun, light and gorgeous way to feed your guests, get creative! What about some menu items that are designed to encouraging sharing like a gorgeous seafood tower with plenty of options for accidental hand grazing… try some snow crab claws, shrimp or oysters.
Valentine’s Day is also a fun day to play with the idea that seafood is “heart healthy”! Serving fish with good omega-3 fatty acids like wild Alaska king salmon is a great way to literally show your customers you care!
Your Santa Monica Seafood Sales Representative is here to help you with getting your pre-orders in to make sure you have a successful and stress-free Valentine’s Day!!
Is Your Restaurant Ready for the Super Bowl?
With the Patriots and the Giants set to face off on Sunday, February 5th, restaurants around the country are gearing up to capture their share of the business… what are you doing to attract customers on this big day?
A look at restaurants around Orange County shows a wide range of promotions in the works…
Tons of Televisions! Obviously the first thing to do in order to get customers in for the game is to show it… Whether you have 1 big screen or 300 of them, make it easy for customers to cheer on their favorite team (or commercial).
Give-aways are also hot; big prizes like televisions (maybe like that awesome one you just bought to show the game on!) or smaller hourly drawings will keep customers entertained during the game…why not raffle off some gift cards so customers come back?
Food and Drink specials; from all-you-can-eat buffets to free shots for touchdowns, restaurants are pulling out all the stops. Kitchens will be turning out casual football favorites like chili, wings, nachos and hot dogs, or more elegant fare. Whether you give it away or offer it at special price, keep the food coming!
Of course we want to be sure you’re serving plenty of seafood during the game! Shrimp cocktail, smoked fish dips and spreads, fried calamari, oysters on the half-shell, stuffed clams… and don’t forget big bowls of New England Clam Chowder for those Patriot fans! Check in with your Santa Monica Seafood Representative to find out what other items will work to help keep customers happy on Super Bowl Sunday.
The 2012 McCormick Flavor Forecast is Out
Looking to spice up your week? Read on! McCormick, giants of the Spice Scene, have released their annual Flavor Forecast, and it’s full of mouth-watering suggestions…
This yearly roundup “pinpoints top trends driving global culinary innovation in the coming years,” and showcases six growing trends:
- Honoring Roots
- Quest for the Ultimate
- Veggies in Vogue
- Simplicity Shines
- Flavorful Swaps
- No Boundaries
Although we had a good laugh imagining those as chapters in some long-forgotten Home Economics text book, the team over at McCormick has a good record seeing their predictions come true, so we thought it was worth looking further into.
How can you incorporate tons (literally) of seafood from your favorite wholesale seafood provider (that would be us)? It’s easy! Here’s a few ideas:
Honoring Roots; really, just buying from us honors some deep roots in world of California family-owned business… since 1939! The Cigliano Family has been bringing great seafood to the West Coast for decades, these roots are deep!
Quest for the Ultimate; this one’s a little vague… McCormick describes it as:
For flavor fanatics, what satisfied yesterday will not do for tomorrow. Those searching for the pinnacle of fulfillment in food are on an endless quest to achieve ever-greater sensory heights. Culinary explorers are seeking out combinations that create powerful, harmonic bursts of elemental flavors—be it zesty, refreshing, umami or pungent—for the ultimate taste experience.
The combos they list in this section are simply made for seafood! Dill with mint, melon and cucumber and Meyer lemon with lemon thyme, Limoncello and lemon peel… add some Santa Barbara spot prawns or a nice piece of wild Alaska halibut come spring and you’re set!
Simplicity Shines offers two more no-brainers for your seafood section: Ginger with coconut (we’re thinking mussels or corvina – although McCormick offers recipes for a shrimp po’boy and braised cod ) and Vanilla with butter – what about lobster or Mano de Leon scallops? Mouth watering! McCormick has some additional ideas for shrimp and grilled snapper which also look fantastic.
No Boundaries asks us to “shed the rules”! Okay! But how to incorporate Sweet Soy with Tamarind & Black pepper? What about a thick wild Alaskan king salmon steak? And Blueberry with Cardamom & Corn Masa? We’re thinking that one might just be for your dessert menu…
Check out McCormick’s website for the full meal deal including recipes.
Seafood Watch Elevates CA Thresher Shark Ranking to Yellow!
In the midst of prolific objections to shark finning, the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program has, after much careful investigation, raised their ranking of California Thresher Shark from “red” (avoid) to “yellow” (good alternative).
Since we carry (and promote) this locally caught, nutritious and carefully managed species, we are especially glad to be able to share this news with you!
According to the Seafood Watch website;
A small number of shark populations in North America are managed more responsibly and have healthier populations. These “Good Alternatives” are common thresher and shortfin mako sharks caught in California and Hawaii, and spiny dogfish from British Columbia. However, unless these shark species can be sourced from these specific regions, we recommend that consumers “Avoid” all other shark products.
We can’t say we’re surprised by this news; we’ve been championing CA Thresher Shark for a while now…
For the last 6 months or so, we’ve been battling the perception that all sharks are endangered because of finning and that all shark fisheries are destructive. This is just not the case with the California drift net thresher shark fishery. Despite healthy thresher shark populations, strong regulations, and little to no by-catch issues a high profile southern California retailer was pressured to stop selling the species. This unfairly devastated the California drift gillnet fishery with unintended impact to fishing communities up and down the coast. No one would buy the catch despite its affordability, great eating properties (especially in fish and chips) and its nutritional benefits.
NOAA’s FishWatch clearly states that the California common thresher shark is not overfished but because shark finning and by-catch are so contentious, we wanted to study the issues further before stocking it again. After attending a NOAA workshop at the Aquarium of the Pacific and a swordfish workshop in San Diego we concluded the population was healthy and the management plan effective. Between area and temporal closures and new gear designs, endangered species and marine mammal by-catch has all but been eliminated. By-catch of other species, including pregnant female and juvenile threshers themselves, has been greatly reduced. Shark finning is illegal in the United States and shark fin sales in many states are now illegal.
To further shore up our position, we also donated RSVP funds to a leatherback turtle restoration project in New Guinea where some of the endangered leatherbacks encountered in this fishery originate from.
It’s been a difficult position to maintain, and we’re glad to be joined by the team at Seafood Watch in our support of this local fishery. Check in with your Santa Monica Seafood Representative on availability of fresh (and frozen) California Thresher Shark and get it on the menu today!
Skuna Bay Salmon Receives Aquaculture Certification!
As the region’s exclusive distributor of Skuna Bay Salmon, we’re very excited to announce that they are the world’s first salmon producer to be sourcing its fish from multiple farms that have received BAP (Best Aquaculture Practices) certification!
According to the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s website:
Best Aquaculture Practices is an international certification program based on achievable, science-based and continuously improved global performance standards for the entire aquaculture supply chain — farms, hatcheries, processing plants and feed mills — that assure healthful foods produced through environmentally and socially responsible means.
This is great news about an already great product. In case you aren’t familiar with Skuna Bay Salmon, this is a perfect opportunity for us to let you know what sets it apart from other farmed salmon (in addition to the BAP logo you’ll start to see on their boxes…)
Raised by craftsman farmers with a passion for producing great fish, Skuna bay salmon thrive in the natural ocean waters of Nootka Sound. Strong tidal currents help Skuna Bay Salmon grow strong and healthy. The farmers live on site, constantly monitoring fish and the conditions of the farm. But we don’t need to tell you all this; BAP certification speaks for itself!
What we do want to tell you more about is the impeccable quality of this product. There’s no certification standard for “Craft Raised”, but you can count on getting some of the most carefully handled seafood on the market. Skuna Bay Salmon is harvested in small batches, whisked off to processors and once it meets strict quality standards is packed into patented Thermaseal boxes, sealed with a tamper proof seal and never touched again until it reaches your kitchen!
We’d love to work with you to get this innovative salmon option on to your menu; check in with your Santa Monica Seafood Sales Representative to learn more!
RSVP Renews Funding for King Crab Research
Along with our recent support for Trout Unlimited’s work in Bristol Bay, we are also very happy to announce that the RSVP program has committed to another year of funding for the Alaska King Crab Research, Rehabilitation and Biology Program (AKCRRAB)!
With funding support from RSVP the AKCRRAB project will continue their work towards understanding how best to hatch, rear and introduce red and blue king crab stocks into the wild in an effort to reverse depressed wild king crab populations throughout Alaska.
The most recent developments for the AKCRRAB program is the arrival of 19 female blue king crabs at the Alutiiq Pride Shellfish Hatchery in Seward AK, caught by the crew of the fishing vessel Seabrooke near St. Matthew Island during the 2011 commercial fishing season. The small geographic range of blue king crab, hazardous weather, and limited shipping opportunities have made acquiring blue king crab broodstock difficult in previous years, which makes their successful delivery this year especially important. Blue king crab larvae have been a challenge to rear at the hatchery compared to the red king crab, but AKCRRAB biologists are optimistic that conditions customized to blue king crabs will yield improved survival and growth rates in 2012. Blue king crab larvae are expected to hatch in winter/spring 2012 and will be used in large-scale experiments focused on improving culture techniques.
If you’ve got King Crab Legs on your New Year’s Eve menu (or even if you don’t) take a minute to learn more about what The AKCRRAB Program is doing to ensure these tasty crustaceans have a bright future!
We Support Wild Alaskan Salmon Research!
Our Responsible Sourcing Vendor Partner Program (RSVP) is proud to present its final funding recipient of the year, Trout Unlimited. Trout Unlimited is one of the nation’s largest and oldest coldwater fisheries conservation organizations and is helping to conserve one of the last pristine freshwater habitats for wild salmon, Bristol Bay Alaska. Bristol Bay supports the largest sockeye and king salmon runs in the world along with healthy runs of coho, pink, and chum salmon.
Despite the many values of Bristol Bay, it faces real threats from proposed mining development that foreign companies want to move forward in the headwaters of Bristol Bay’s most productive salmon rivers and lakes. Trout Unlimited, along with local Bristol Bay native tribes and corporations, commercial salmon fishermen, seafood processors and chefs are working together to ensure that Bristol Bay’s fishery gets the protection that it deserves so that future generations may enjoy this irreplaceable source of healthy and delicious wild salmon.
Critical to managing and protecting this last remaining wild salmon fishery is sound scientific data and research. With funding support from the RSVP program, Trout Unlimited has partnered with one of Alaska’s top fishery biologists, Dr. Carol Ann Woody of Fisheries Research and Consulting, to conduct essential research that documents, maps, and characterizes essential salmon habitats in the Bristol Bay region of southwest Alaska which will inform best management practices and help to ensure a viable and sustainable wild salmon supply into the future.
We’re glad to have this opportunity to help protect one of Alaska’s valuable natural resources!
A Happy Holiday for Some Atlantic Salmon
In the year 2000, Atlantic Salmon were declared an endangered species in eight Maine rivers. Since then, according to an article in the New York Times, more than 3,100 salmon returned to the Penobscot River, the most since 1986, and nearly 200 ascended the Narraguagus River, up from the low two digits just a decade ago.
Although we’re cheered by this information “scientists caution that the long-term picture is still cloudy — and that much could depend on factors far from Maine”, the article noted.
John F. Kocik, a research biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries service, told the Times
…in recent years salmon have been faring poorly during their time at sea. Waters have been too warm for salmon in some places and too cold in others, partly influenced by periodic weather patterns known as the North Atlantic oscillation and the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation. “Both of those seem to be coming into play,” Dr. Kocik said.”
He added that there was more to be learned. “There are also, we believe, some more complex food-chain issues going on that we are trying to understand,” he said.
Climate change may be the biggest issue wild salmon are faced with in the decades to come as even minute changes in temperature can wreak havoc with ecosystems. So, although we’re happy to read about improved returns, we’ll take the information with a grain of sea salt and keep our eye on the issues.
More Good News for Patagonian Toothfish
A little holiday cheer from the Good News department, we’ve been reading some stories about the continuing recovery of Patagonia Toothfish populations and we’d like to share some of that good news with you!
According to the Coalition of Legal Toothfish Operators, the Australian Heard Island & McDonald Islands Patagonian toothfish fishery is now approaching the final stages of Marine Stewardship Council review.
According to COLTO,
“If successful, HIMI will be the third toothfish fishery to achieve the gold standard of the MSC, determining it a sustainable and well managed fishery, following the South Georgia and Ross Sea toothfish fisheries.”
An earlier press release from COLTO applauded results from the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources announced at their annual meeting which show continued reduced Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) catches of toothfish, and which demonstrated the success of protection measures to avoid accidental catch of seabirds during fishing operations.
We’ll keep you updated on how the MSC certification progresses. As always feel free to share your good news with us here on the blog!
Is Your 2012 Menu Ready for Hungry Baby Boomers?
Planning changes to your restaurant or retail outlet in 2012? You might want to involve a focus group of baby boomers… that’s what this blog from Supermarket News makes us want to do!
As Supermarket News points out,
Expect supermarkets to cater to the Boomers, not only by offering the foods, beverages and services to satisfy their growing interest (and need) for health — but to take a good look at the physical shopping experience, to make sure that the aisles are wide, to lower the shelves and most importantly to make them feel welcome and respected.
As we live longer and better (and those baby boomers certainly are, with long average lifespans of 74.1 years for men and 79.5 years for women) we’re becoming more concerned with making healthy choices. You have a pool of over 75 million potential customers out there – give them a great selection of healthy seafood options!
If baby boomers are looking for foods that are good for their health, then seafood certainly tops the list. But it’s not simply adding seafood – it’s adding it in a way that appeals to health-conscious diners. Broiled, steamed, raw – there are many techniques that enhance the flavors of fish and shellfish without detracting from health benefits. Salads featuring seafood, healthy fish soups and stews, tasty pasta dishes, there are so many ways to tempt the palates of your baby boomer customers.
And, like Supermarket News suggests, don’t just stop at your menu – keep in mind the layout of your restaurant, the font size of your menu, your hours of operation, and other things that just might impact your bottom line if you can tweak them to speak to that growing clientele.
Feel free to share you own experiences or ideas on how to best serve all your customers, whether they are baby boomers or not!
Pacific Halibut Fishery Facing More Cuts in Quota
The Scientific Staff of the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) released their recommendations for 2012 Pacific Halibut season yesterday, and it was more bad news for most areas (a total overall reduction of 19%) especially area 3B (The Western Gulf of Alaska from the south end of Kodiak Island to Unimak Pass) where they recommend a 32% cut, area 4A (Unimak Pass to roughly just past Islands of the Four Mountains) and where they recommend a 35% cut, and area 4CDE where they recommend a 34% cut. Here’s a map that outlines the fishing areas if you want to see more detail.
However, it’s not just the recommended cuts that have people concerned; an article in today’s Alaska Dispatch notes there are bigger issues according to IPHC commission lead biologist Steven Hare who said,
“the real problem is what he called “unspecified mortality.” Halibut are disappearing from the population for reasons managers can only guess at. “It’s troubling,” Hare said.
Were managers to take these mystery disappearances fully into consideration, he added, they would be forced to recommend drastic cuts in commercial harvests.
One model that does this, he said, suggested setting catches “28 percent lower than the lowest level since 1935.” Catches, or at least legal catches, have already been pushed down 55 percent in the past decade, and they are for sure going down again.
The Alaska Dispatch article title asks, “where have all the halibut gone?” and they propose a variety of answers including the waste of small or unwanted fish from the halibut fishery itself, and pollock and other trawlers, sablefish longliners and other fisheries discarding bycatch. Illegal fishing could be impacting the overall population as could larger ecosystem issues that are contributing to starvation or disease problems.
The IPHC will make their final recommendations early next year, we’ll keep you updated.
Introducing Two New RSVP Funded Projects
We are proud to introduce two new RSVP funding recipients – the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP), a California Sea Grant Extension project and the Marine Biological Laboratory Sustainable Aquaculture Initiative, Haiti Aquaculture project. A world apart and with very different focuses these two exceptional projects help to support the RSVP mission by improving fisheries management and facilitating community development through sustainable practices.
The CCFRP is a collaborative effort among researchers from CA Sea Grant at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML) and SLOSEA / Center for Coastal Marine Sciences at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as well as the captains and crew of 15 commercial and CPFV vessels in central California. For the past six years, CCFRP has been conducting collaborative fisheries projects on local commercially important species through collaborative hook and line tag and release surveys and commercial live trap fishery surveys. The species of interest include nearshore rockfish species, California halibut, cabezon, lingcod, ocean whitefish and Pacific bonito. The CCFRP utilizes the expertise of both scientists and fishermen to better understand the health of fish stocks and marine ecosystems in California.
This summer the CCFRP project surveyed areas off the Northern Central California coast, Ano Nuevo and Point Lobos, completing 16 sampling days with 111 volunteers & 2 interns, catching 3,371 fishes of 20 different species and tagged 1,682 fish! With the support of RSVP funding and the efforts of the CCFRP team this project will lead to improved management effectiveness, ensuring the long-term productivity of commercially important species in our local waters.
To learn more about the CCFRP, please read this recent article about the project in Point Lobos Magazine.
Our other new RSVP funded project, the Marine Biological Laboratory Sustainable Aquaculture Initiative, is helping to alleviate poverty in Haiti by teaching responsible and sustainable Tilapia aquaculture production methods to local villagers in the Cormeir area of Haiti. Using 50+ concrete ponds and the introduction of periphyton based feed and semi-intensive methods this project is helping to meet the dire dietary needs of the Haitian people.
Current research efforts are directed towards the proliferation (education) of current techniques into other areas of Haiti, increasing production of existing fish farms through the formulation of fish feeds using newly discovered feed ingredients available in Haiti including brewery waste, edible jatropha, and several species of currently “valueless” plant products. The education efforts include establishing an aquaculture training and demonstration center in Haiti to gain the support of local Haitian fish farmers. As the poorest nation in the western hemisphere, Haitians are in desperate need of improved and sustainable livelihoods that this project can provide with the support of RSVP funding and the efforts of the sustainable aquaculture initiative personnel.
We are proud to have these two projects be part of the RSVP program and are excited to see what great things they will do next! Check back for regular updates on the future progress of these projects!
2011 Pacific Halibut Season Wraps Up
The 2011 Pacific Halibut season is all but a memory with the last fresh fish moving through our processing facility this week… we hope you enjoyed plenty of fresh halibut this season – but don’t worry if you’re still craving this delicious, sustainably harvested flat fish – it freezes (and defrosts) great! We’ll have plenty of frozen-at-sea halibut from Alaska on hand to carry us through the off-season and although prices are a bit higher than last year, this is still a great fish to keep on your menu through the fall and winter months.
It was a good season for halibut fishermen despite quota cuts. Dock prices remained high all season (which is why our previously frozen halibut is also high). 2011 will be known as the season that Kodiak beat our Homer for the most fish deliveries in Alaska for the first time since 1995!
Ranked Green (Best Choice) by Seafood Watch, and certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council, Pacific Halibut is one of our favorite fish – it’s also delicious and versatile! Harvested exclusively by long liners, halibut is a targeted catch with little by-catch associated with its harvest. As we noted, Kodiak and Homer see tons of halibut throughout the season, but halibut is harvested in a variety of areas in Alaska (and Canada, but most of the Pacific Halibut quota is caught in Alaska). The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute offers this great interactive map with info about all of Alaska’s fishing regions, check it out!
Another great source of information about Pacific Halibut is NOAA’s Fish Watch (in fact, Fish Watch is a great source of information about all domestic commercially harvested seafood)! You can find information about the health of the biomass, nutrition facts and more via this useful service.
We will continue to bring in a variety of other flatfish options including locally harvested halibut, Atlantic halibut and smaller flatfish like sole and fluke – stay in touch with your Santa Monica Seafood representative about day-to-day availability. The 2012 Pacific Halibut season will open in March – we’ll keep you updated as information on next year’s season becomes available.
Mouth Watering Menu Descriptions May Mean More Money!
We’re going to send you into the weekend with some food for thought from iSante; mouth watering menu descriptions translate into higher check averages! That’s great news – all you have to do is switch that “swordfish steak” on your menu to a “savory swordfish steak” and you’re that much closer to retirement!
In this blog post, author Brian Wansink notes that descriptive menu items increased sales by 27 percent over the plain-labeled menu items. To keep it simple, Wansink breaks down descriptive labels into 4 different categories;
- Geographic. Labels that claim to reproduce the same flavors that are specifically found in geographic areas have proven successful. Examples are Southwestern Tex-Mex Salad, London Fish and Chips, “Real” Carolina Barbeque, Country Peach Tart.
- Nostalgic. Alluding to past time periods can trigger happy memories of family, tradition, and nationalism. Examples are Classic Old World Italian, Legendary Chocolate Mousse Pie, Nana’s Favorite Chicken Soup.
- Sensory. If labels accurately describe the taste, smell, and mouth-feel of the menu item, then customers will be more able to picture themselves eating it. Ice cream shops accomplish this masterfully—note names like “Chocolate Velvet”…
- Brand. A cross-promotion with a related brand that carries its own important associations makes the menu item more attractive. One drawback of brand labels is that the legal costs and licensing costs can be too expensive for single-unit restaurants. The use of brands says to consumers, “If you love the brand, you’ll love this menu item.” Examples are Black Angus Beef Burgers or Jack Daniel’s BBQ Ribs.
Let’s talk a minute about how you can jazz up those seafood dishes on your menu… Geographical is a no-brainer when it comes to fish and shellfish. From Copper River Salmon to Pickle Point Oysters, we’re used to talking geography in this industry. Your Santa Monica Seafood Representative is your best bet for geographical info. Sometimes we can even add the name of the boat that caught the fish – talk about zeroing in!
Nostalgia isn’t hard to conjure up either when it comes to seafood dishes. Classic menu items like cioppino, crab cakes or tuna melts all lend themselves to nostalgic descriptions.
Sensory? This category was made for seafood! From luxurious black cod to succulent lobster meat – this is a match made in linguistic heaven!
Brand cross promotion we’ll leave up to you – but let us know if you want to feature “Santa Monica Seafood” on your menu!